Departmental Manpower

Oliver Heald: To ask the Prime Minister how many staff were employed by his Office in 2007-08; and how many staff were employed by his predecessor's office in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07.

Gordon Brown: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 1 May 2008,  Official Report, column 624W, and the answer I gave the hon. Members for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) and Fareham (Mr. Hoban) on 15 October 2007,  Official Report, column 819W. I also refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my predecessor (right hon. Tony Blair) on 11 October 2006,  Official Report, column 2036W and the answer given to the hon. Member the for Belfast, East (Mr. Robinson) on 10 October 2005,  Official Report, column 163-4W.

Energy

William Hague: To ask the Prime Minister when the London meeting on energy referred to in his recent speech in Abu Dhabi is scheduled to take place; what the objective of the meeting will be; and whether representatives of all OPEC member states have been invited.

Gordon Brown: The London Energy Ministerial Meeting is due to take place on 19 December. The objective of the meeting will be to enhance the dialogue between the major oil producing and consuming countries, in order to improve the functioning of the oil market. A theme of the meeting will be 'Oil and the World Economy'. All countries who attended the Jeddah meeting in June, including all OPEC oil ministers, together with the European Commission and the OPEC, IEA and IEF Secretariats have been invited.

Political Office: Telephones

Francis Maude: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Shipley of 8 October 2008,  Official Report, column 618W, on political office: furniture, how many Downing street Political Office staff have telephones provided at the public expense.

Gordon Brown: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Shipley (Philip Davies) on 8 October 2008,  Official Report, column 618W.

Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the  (a) Government and  (b) armed forces have held discussions with the Taliban in Afghanistan during 2008.

John Hutton: holding answer 17 November 2008
	 The UK's position remains as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister set out to Parliament on 12 December 2008,  Official Report, column 305; we will not negotiate with the Taliban.

Armed Forces: Young People

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how frequently he receives reports updating the progress-tracking grid on implementation of measures proposed by the Defence Select Committee, the Adult Learning Inspectorate and the Blake Review; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent update report.

Kevan Jones: Ministers are briefed orally at least twice yearly on progress relating to the issues raised in reports by the Defence Select Committee, the adult learning inspectorate and the then Nicholas Blake, QC by senior members of each service and officials. The recommendations from the reports have been grouped into 26 subject areas which are open to regular review through audit, inspection and evaluation and other prompts such as policy updates, legislative change and research. Consequently, while issues might be regarded as having been addressed through specific actions, the subject areas remain open and enduring as routine business.
	To ensure that change is enduring, effort is now increasingly focused on developing a culture of continuous improvement. Following publication of the ALI "Better Training" report in 2007, Ofsted is now engaged in inspection of recruiting and training, judging progress on care and welfare issues and providing a view on how well self-assessment at unit level is contributing to continuous improvement. Ofsted is due to complete its first report in spring 2009; this will be published and copies placed in the Library of the House.

Military Aircraft

Gerald Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his most recent estimate is of the annual cost of  (a) maintaining and  (b) operating (i) the VC10 and (ii) the Tristar fleet.

Quentin Davies: A number of areas within the Department incur maintenance and operating expenditure on the RAF's VC10 and TriStar fleets. The financial information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost. The figures provided in the following table are the estimated logistic support costs of Defence Equipment and Support that can be directly attributed to the two aircraft fleets in the current financial year.
	
		
			  Financial year 2008-09 
			  Aircraft  £ million 
			 VC10 83 
			 TriStar 29 
			  Notes: 1. DE and S staff costs are not included. 2. Costs have been rounded to the nearest million.

Waste Disposal: Fees and Charges

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 4 November 2008,  Official Report, column 401W, on waste disposal: council tax, 
	(1)  whether domestic properties with a  (a) Class M and  (b) Class N council tax exemption will be liable to pay the new charges for the collection of household waste being trialled in the waste incentive pilot areas;
	(2)  whether domestic properties with a Class V council tax exemption will be liable to pay the new charges for the collection of household waste being trialled in the waste incentive pilot areas.

Jane Kennedy: Pilot authorities will determine which households they wish a waste reduction scheme to cover.
	Participation in a waste incentives scheme by diplomatic and consular agents would be on a voluntary basis.

Bank Services

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the proportion of depositors in Kaupthing, Singer and Friedlander (Isle of Man) who were unable to bank in the UK because of overseas residence.

Ian Pearson: No such estimate has been made.

Drugs: Internet

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps his Department is taking to prevent the sale of untested and illegal pharmaceutical drugs via the internet; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what correspondence his Department has received in support of an increase in penalties for individuals selling untested pharmaceuticals on the internet; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) actively monitors the availability of medicines being offered online using specialist equipment and resources focused on identifying websites operating within the UK. Robust action is taken when illegal activity is detected.
	Several initiatives are under way to communicate risks posed by online supply of medicines to consumers and potential customers, both by MHRA acting as regulator, or in conjunction with relevant organisations such as the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain.
	MHRA is not aware of any specific correspondence relating to increasing the penalties with regard to selling medicines via the internet. Penalties under medicines legislation extend to a maximum of two years imprisonment and/or an unlimited fine.

Health Centres

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 20 October 2008,  Official Report, column 64W, on health centres, what assessment his Department has made of the likely effects on revenues of  (a) an existing GP practice and  (b) a new GP-led health centre in circumstances where a patient deregisters with the existing GP practice and reregisters at the GP-led health centre.

Ben Bradshaw: Where a patient chooses to leave their existing registered practice to register with a new General Practitioner (GP)-led health centre, the existing practice's registered population will decrease by one, and their global sum weighted capitation payment will reduce proportionately, and the new GP-led health centre will be paid according to the contract with the primary care trust on the basis of an agreed local, equitable price per patient.

Melanotan

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions his Department has had with regulators on the safety of melantan.

Dawn Primarolo: Medicinal products are regulated by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), part of the Department of Health. The MHRA considers that the unlicensed, injectible products Melanotan I and II fall within the definition of a medicinal product. Unlicensed medicinal products may not be advertised or placed on the market. As the Melanotan products are not licensed, the MHRA has no data to show that they are safe or of good quality.

NHS Direct: Enfield

Joan Ryan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the Enfield Primary Care Trust area have consulted NHS Direct in each year since 2000.

Ben Bradshaw: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the following table.
	
		
			  Calls to NHS Direct 0845 line from the Enfield PCT area 
			   Number 
			 2001 6,642 
			 2002 11,245 
			 2003 12,290 
			 2004 12,493 
			 2005 12,077 
			 2006 22,863 
			 2007 22,444 
		
	
	Data is only available from 2001 onwards.

NHS: ICT

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Rochford and Southend East of 6 October 2008,  Official Report, column 444W, on medical records: data protection, when the Information Commissioner made the statement on new NHS systems referred to in the Answer; and if he will publish in full the document containing the statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The views attributed to the Information Commissioner in the answer are taken from two sources. The first is the second paragraph of the Information Commissioner's response to the consultation, launched in October 2002, on the Department's 'Information for Life' confidentiality proposals. The other is a statement the Commissioner made in a document he published in January 2007 in the wake of inquiries he had received from people who had seen articles in the media relating to the introduction of electronic care records. The consultation response has been placed in the Library. The published statement is available from the Information Commissioner's Office website at:
	http://www.ico.gov.uk/about_us/news_and_views/current_topics/NHS_electronic_care_records.aspx

NHS: Standardisation

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many automated dispensing systems are in place in the NHS.

Ann Keen: The purchase of automated dispensing systems is an investment decision for local national health service organisations, and definitive figures are not held centrally. As of March 2008, NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency were aware of approximately 75 automated dispensing systems in hospital pharmacy departments across the United Kingdom, of which seven are in Wales, and the remainder in England.

NHS: Standardisation

Norman Lamb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of patients involved in safety incidents in NHS organisations which  (a) are and  (b) are not members of GS1.

Ann Keen: The most recently published data from the National Patient Safety Agency's (NS reporting and learning system (RLS) indicates that during the period April to June 2008, 276,839 incidents were submitted to the RLS from 377 national health service organisations in England and Wales. This information has already been placed in the Library and is also available on the NPSA's website at: www.npsa.nhs.uk/nrls/patient-safety-incident-data/quarterly-data-reports. Analysis to compare the numbers of incidents in organisations that are and are not registered with GS1 is not available currently.

Oral Health

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 10 November 2008,  Official Report, column 826W, on employment of oral health specialists, what steps his Department is taking to implement the recommendations of the Choosing Better Oral Health report.

Ann Keen: In September 2007 we published 'Delivering Better Oral Health: An evidence-based toolkit for prevention' which contains guidance to dentists and members of dental teams care teams on oral health promotion and prevention of dental disease and advice to primary care trusts on commissioning these services. A copy of the publication has been placed in the Library. Earlier this year the Chief Dental Officer and colleagues contributed to three regional conferences on implementation of the toolkit. Our oral health promotion programme has also included reforming the legislation governing the fluoridation of water to give communities with high levels of dental disease a real option of having their water fluoridated. And we continue to promote the Brushing for Life scheme whereby health visitors and other health professionals give families with young children a free pack containing a tube of fluoridated toothpaste, a toothbrush and a leaflet on oral hygiene. To provide for appropriately trained staff to undertake these tasks we are conducting a review of dental public health capacity which addresses the requirement for consultants in dental public health and oral health improvement officers.

Pharmacy: Winchester

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescription items have been dispensed  (a) by dispensing doctors in Winchester and the Meon Valley and  (b) in the community by community pharmacists, appliance contractors and dispensing doctors in Winchester and the Meon Valley in each of the last three years.

Phil Hope: Data is not collected in the format requested. The number of prescription items that have been dispensed in the community by community pharmacists, appliance contractors and by dispensing doctors is available for primary care trusts (PCTs) in England. The figures are based on a one in 20 sample of prescriptions. It is not possible to separate the figures for community pharmacists and appliance contractors so the combined figure is given in each case. The figures provided are for the PCT which is the closest match to the Winchester and the Meon Valley, namely Hampshire PCT and its predecessor bodies(1).
	(1) Hampshire PCT was created on 1 October 2006 from a complete merger of Blackwater Valley and Hart PCT, East Hampshire PCT, Eastleigh and Test Valley South PCT, Fareham and Gosport PCT, Mid-Hampshire PCT, New Forest PCT and North Hampshire PCT.
	
		
			  Prescription items dispensed  2007  2006  2005 
			 Dispensing doctors 1,113,870 1,275,236 1,348,538 
			 Community pharmacists, appliance contractors and dispensing doctors 15,223,861 15,997,960 16,939,424 
			  Source: Prescription Cost Analysis data Exemption Category Estimates, Information Centre for health and social care.

Tuberculosis

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the  (a) number and  (b) proportion of persons treated for tuberculosis who were living in (i) private and (ii) social housing in the last year for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: This data is not collected centrally. The Health Protection Agency does not collect data on type of residence of tuberculosis cases.

Apprenticeships

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what steps his Department is taking to ensure the provision of apprenticeships for small and medium-sized enterprises in the current economic situation.

Si�n Simon: We share employer's concerns that cutting back on training threatens their future competitiveness. We are taking forward 'World-class Apprenticeships' proposals to support and encourage small and medium-sized businesses to take on apprentices. We recently launched sector growth pilots to trial a range of support, including wage and training subsidies; and overtraining trials to expand existing programmes. I encourage small businesses to bid for this funding. We are also encouraging the development of Group Training Associations to help support small businesses to provide Apprenticeship places. And the Department is leading the way on ensuring that public procurement plays its part in driving up Apprenticeship opportunities.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department has taken following the publication of the Youth Alcohol Action Plan to assist the police, local authorities and communities to identify hotspots where underage drinking is a problem.

Jacqui Smith: The Youth Alcohol Action Plan stated that the Home Office would support the police, local authorities and communities to identify problem hot spots. This is a reiteration of a commitment made in Safe.Sensible.Social. - the next steps in the National Alcohol Strategy to gather further evidence on how high risk licensed premises can best be identified i.e. those premises that the have a higher likelihood of being associated with crime and disorder, public nuisance and risk to children.
	Officials within the Home Office have commissioned expert practitioners from Dorset police and Lancashire constabulary to develop a toolkit for licensing officers to help identify problem premises. The toolkit identifies best working practices from across the country and provides a structured approach to tackling the problem. We are currently in consultation with ACPO, LACORS and the police regarding the document and a possible publication date.

Departmental Procurement

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2008,  Official Report, column 259W, on Departmental procurement, what payments her Department made to the Joanne Banks Dancers in 2007-08; on what dates; and for what purpose in each case.

Jacqui Smith: Pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2008,  Official Report, column 259W, on departmental procurement; although the Joanne Banks Dancers were set up as a supplier in the Home Department's financial database, no payment was made to this organisation in 2007-08.

Departmental Procurement

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 21 October 2008,  Official Report, column 259W, on departmental procurement, what payments her Department made to Darlington Football Club Company in 2007-08; on what dates; and for what purpose in each case.

Jacqui Smith: Pursuant to the answer of 21 October 2008,  Official Report, column 259W, on departmental procurement, based on the purchase order data held in the Home Department's financial database, the details of the payment made to Darlington Football Club Company in 2007-08 are as follows:
	
		
			  March 2007description of purchase  Value () 
			 Hire of conference venue for the North East Restorative Community Partnership conference highlighting and advertising the work going on in North East Prisons. 2,440.87

Human Trafficking: Children

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support system is in place for children who are victims of human trafficking.

Jacqui Smith: Under the Children Acts of 1989 and 2004, it is the responsibility of local authorities to safeguard and promote the welfare of any separated child who is assessed to be at risk of harm and in need of accommodation. As separated children at risk of harm, trafficked children become the responsibility of local authorities as looked-after children. They also have access to legal advice, education, medical and psychological support. The Government's White Paper Care Matters and Children and Young Persons Bill currently in Parliament contain additional measures to strengthen the service provision and improve outcomes for all looked-after children even further.
	In England, local safeguarding children boards co-ordinate safeguarding activity for children at risk of harm. Some local and metropolitan authorities have already established trafficking sub-groups to promote best practice and co-operation between agencies.
	On 7 December 2007, the Government published supplementary guidance Working Together to Safeguard Children who may have been Trafficked which actively guides practitioners towards making appropriate decisions for safeguarding children they suspect may have been trafficked.

Local Authorities: Surveillance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many local authorities were authorised to intercept communications data in the last year for which figures are available according to records held by the Interception of Communications Commissioner.

Vernon Coaker: Local authorities cannot intercept communications under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA), but they can use the communications data provisions to make requests to communication service providers for service use and subscriber data under s21(4) (b)(c) RIPA. The figures published in the interception of communications commissioner's annual report shows that 154 local authorities made use of their powers to acquire communications data in 2007.

Marriage

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason approval as a venue for a civil marriage ceremony may not be given to premises with a recent connection with any religion, religious practice or religious persuasion.

Meg Hillier: The Marriage Act 1949 draws a distinction between civil and religious marriages in England and Wales. The approval of premises for civil marriages is a matter for the local authority in which the premises are situated and it is the local authority which must be satisfied that the statutory requirements are met before it can grant an approval.
	The statutory position on approved premises is contained in the Civil Partnership Act 2004 and the Marriages and Civil Partnerships (Approved Premises) Regulations 2005. The regulations state that the premises must not be religious premises as defined by section 6(2) of the 2004 Act. The Act defines religious premises as those which are used solely or mainly for religious purposes; or have been so used and have not subsequently been used solely or mainly for other purposes.
	Therefore, if a premises which has previously been used for religious purposes has subsequently been used for another purpose then the previous use, by itself, should not prohibit the premises becoming approved for the solemnization of civil marriages and civil partnerships.

Members: Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she will respond to the letter to her of 12 August from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Faiz ur-Rasool.

Jacqui Smith: A reply to the right hon. Member was sent on 22 September 2008. As my right hon. Friend has not received my reply, a copy of the letter will be re-sent to your office.

Police: Surveillance

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will place in the Library a copy of the National Policing Improvement Agency's report on Lawful and Effective Use of Covert Techniques.

Vernon Coaker: Guidance on the Lawful and Effective Use of Covert Techniques was published by the National Policing Improvement Agency in March 2008 on behalf of the Association of Chief Police Officers, Association of Chief Police Officers Scotland, Serious Organised Crime Agency, Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs and Home Office.
	Due to its subject matter, the guidance is marked 'Restricted' and as such, copies cannot be placed in the House Library.

Departmental Written Questions

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many Questions for written answer were tabled to his Department in Session  (a) 2002-03,  (b) 2003-04,  (c) 2004-05,  (d) 2005-06,  (e) 2006-07 and  (f) 2007-08 to date; and how many were (i) answered substantively and (ii) not answered on grounds of disproportionate cost.

Jonathan R Shaw: Information on disproportionate cost replies is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The number of questions tabled to the Department for which replies were given(1) is in the following table:
	(1) Questions which were subsequently withdrawn by hon. Members or transferred to other Government Departments for reply have not been included.
	
		
			  Parliamentary Session  Number of questions 
			 2002-03 2,136 
			 2003-04 2,712 
			 2004-05 1,288 
			 2005-06 5,195 
			 2006-07 2,256 
			 2007-08 to date 3,184

Mentally Ill Staff

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information his Department has gathered on the effect of its policies and practices on the recruitment, development and retention of employees with mental illnesses within  (a) his Department and  (b) the public sector bodies for which he has responsibility; and what use has been made of that information.

Jonathan R Shaw: Under the Disability Equality Duty introduced by the Disability Discrimination Act 2005, the Department and its public sector bodies listed in the associated Regulations are required to publish and implement Disability Equality Schemes. These are plans setting out how they will carry out the Disability Equality Duty, monitor, and report on progress. In particular this includes their arrangements for gathering information on the effect of their policies and practices on the recruitment, development and retention of their disabled employees, including those with mental health conditions, and making use of that information.
	The public sector bodies sponsored by my department that are subject to these requirements are responsible for publishing and implementing their own disability equality schemes.
	In order to carry out the Disability Equality Duty we have adopted a number of specific measures which include:
	all external recruitment advertisements contain the Positive About Disabled People Two Ticks Symbol, which ensures that all applicants who declare a disability are given reasonable adjustments at each stage of the selection process to ensure they are competing on a level playing field.
	when disabled applicants are successful, all relevant adjustments are made, in consultation with the individual and expert advisors where appropriate. Managers keep under review any particular requirements that disabled employees may have, in line with the 'Two Ticks commitments.
	we operate the Workstep scheme, which enables people with severely disabled people to be employed, with support from external providers such as Scope.
	all our employment policies and processes are subject to equality impact assessments in order to assess the impact of the policy or process on disability, race or gender.
	we run a specific development programme for disabled and ethnic minority staff which aims to identify and overcome the barriers that can prevent these groups of staff from fulfilling their potential. The current intake includes staff who have mental health conditions.
	we are currently developing a holistic wellbeing programme to look at and tackle the underlying causes of poor physical and mental health. To assist this we collect and analyse data on sickness absence caused by anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions. Our annual staff survey also seeks employees' opinions on the causes and effect of work-related pressure and we collect anonymous data on the reasons our staff telephone our counselling help line.
	In line with the Disability Equality Duty, a report is published every three years to show: progress towards disability equality in my policy sector; and proposals for co-ordination of future work by relevant public authorities within my policy sector. These reports will show what impact, if any, policies have had on the recruitment and retention of disabled people including those with mental health conditions, and set out proposals to address any gaps identified when establishing the progress made across the policy sector. The first report must be published by December 2008.

Post Office Card Account

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the Oral Statement of 13 November 2008,  Official Report, columns 965-82W, on the Post Office Card Account, what the increased functionality of the new Post Office Card Account will be under the new contract.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 18 November 2008
	The precise functionality will be subject to detailed contractual discussions with Post Office Ltd., but we expect enhancements to include: (i) a simpler more automated opening process for customers (ii) an ability to make payments more quickly into Post Office card accounts through industry standard Faster Electronic Payments (iii) an ability to correct mistakes, for example if the customer withdraws more than they intended to and wants the money immediately put back into their account. This can happen when the customer does not realise, for example, that their winter fuel payment has been paid into their Post Office card account and they ask to withdraw the full balance in their account.

Post Office Card Account

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place a copy of each of the public tender documents for the Post Office Card Account in the Library.

Rosie Winterton: The procurement exercise for a successor to the Post Office card account has been halted and instead another contract will be awarded to Post Office Ltd.
	As the tender process never reached a final conclusion it would serve no purpose to publish anything more than the notice that appeared in the  Official Journal of the European Union (already in the Library) which set out what we intended to procure.

China: Carbon Emissions

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to hold discussions with the governments of China and India on ways to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and use more renewable energy resources; and what plans he has to involve the incoming US administration in such discussions.

Gillian Merron: Climate change is not just an environmental problem but something that threatens international peace and security, prosperity and development.
	The UK is seeking to agree, at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change meeting in Copenhagen in December 2009, a comprehensive, global and long-term framework for addressing climate change. This deal must put us on the right pathway for stabilising emissions in the atmosphere at a level that avoids dangerous climate change consistent with global emission pathways in line with the 2 C target.
	It is important that all countries are included in a global deal, and China and India, as well as the United States and the EU, will be critical to achieving it. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has twice visited China this year and held substantive discussions on China's low carbon future. The UK Government have also hosted a number of inward visits from Chinese dignitaries with whom we have had extensive dialogues on climate change.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has also been working with our Chinese (and European) partners to ensure climate change is a priority for the 1 December EU-China summit. We hope that one outcome from this summit might be further discussions on possible low carbon development zones (LCDZ) which could be a very practical step in reducing China's greenhouse gas emissions.
	We are equally committed to continuing our discussions with India about climate change. The British high commission in New Delhi recently hosted the UK-India Structured Dialogue on Climate Change and the global move to low carbon is a consistent theme in our conversations with partners in India.
	We welcome the positive statements President-Elect Obama has made on climate change and energy, and we are looking forward to engaging with his administration when they are formally in place.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Peacekeeping Operations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is UK policy that the UN mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo should be reinforced; and what changes are being proposed.

David Miliband: We fully support the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)'s (MONUC) efforts to reinforce its presence in and around Goma by moving troops and resources from other areas of the DRC.
	The UK is committed to working with international partners and the UN to ensure MONUC's resources are utilised as efficiently as possible and targeted where they are most needed.
	The UN Secretary-General has written to UN Security Council member states requesting further resources for MONUC and will present further recommendations on the restructuring of MONUC to the Security Council in his report due to be issued on 19 November. The extra resources are likely to be further troops and enablers, such as air support. We will support a properly evidenced request for extra resources and will work closely with Security Council partners to agree on the resources required by MONUC.

Diego Garcia: Detainees

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people have been held in the police station on the island of Diego Garcia since 2001; and for what reasons in each case.

David Miliband: Our records indicate that, since 2001, approximately 200 people have been held in the police station and/or the detention facility. A significant proportion of those were detained in connection with illegal fishing in British Indian Ocean Territory waters, assault or being drunk and disorderly. Others were held under suspicion of or having been found guilty of one or more of the following offences under British Indian Ocean Territory law: driving whilst disqualified; causing criminal damage; violations of the Visitors and Visiting Vessels Ordinance; driving under the influence; dangerous driving; breaking and entering; importing prohibited articles; being drunk and incapable; attempted murder; drunkenness; harassment; fighting; taking a vehicle without consent; grievous bodily harm; actual bodily harm; wounding with intent; indecent assault; burglary; leaving the scene of an accident; rape; vagrancy; threatening behaviour; obtaining property by deception; affray; mooring in the outer islands without permission; possession of an offensive weapon; indecency; driving without a licence; theft; urinating in public.

Diego Garcia: Military Bases

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether there have been any requests from the US administration for permission to use their facilities on Diego Garcia for extraordinary purposes since 2001.

David Miliband: With thanks to the hon. Member for his subsequent clarification of the information that he seeks: there have been no requests from the United States to use Diego Garcia for purposes outside of the agreements governing their use of the island.

Iraq: Peacekeeping Operations

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the legal basis for the presence of UK forces in Iraq will be after the expiry of the UN mandate in December 2008; and if he will make a statement.

John Hutton: I have been asked to reply.
	The Multi-National Force, including British forces, operates in Iraq under the mandate of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1790 and at the request of the Government of Iraq. The UK and the Government of Iraq are negotiating a legal framework to allow us to continue to provide the assistance requested of us by the Iraqi authorities, laying the foundations for a long-term normalised bilateral relationship. Our negotiations have made good progress and we expect to conclude an agreement prior to the expiry of UN Security Council Resolution 1790 at the end of 2008.

Turks and Caicos Islands: Hurricanes

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance his Department plans to provide to the people of the Turks and Caicos Islands during the reconstruction phase following Hurricane Ike; on what basis overseas territories receive financial assistance from the Government for help with reconstruction efforts following natural disasters; and if he will make a statement.

Michael Foster: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for International Development (DFID), jointly with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, has indicated a willingness to provide up to 5 million to support post Hurricane Ike priority reconstruction needs.
	Overseas Territories receive assistance for reconstruction after natural disasters on the basis of our assessment of a range of factors. These include the scale of damage suffered, the urgency of the need, the extent of the Territory's capacity to meet recovery costs itself. We also take into account the likelihood of receiving assistance from other sources, such as from insurance.

Licensing Laws

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will bring forward proposals to amend the legislation relating to applications for licences under the Licensing Act 2003 so that  (a) hon. and right hon. Members and  (b) local councillors can (i) make representations to and (ii) speak at application hearings on behalf of their constituents without the necessity of first being asked by a constituent to do so; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 16 October 2008
	I believe that the current arrangements for making representations sufficiently protect the rights of local residents in licensing cases. Local residents and local businesses may make representations or seek a review under the Act as can bodies acting on their behalf (e.g. residents' associations, parish or town councils, or trade associations). Any of these individuals or groups may specifically request a representative to make a representation on their behalf (e.g. a Member of Parliament or a local ward or parish councillor). Local councillors can also make representations in their own right if they live or are involved in a business in the vicinity of the premises in question. I have received no indication from any source that these arrangements have led to significant problems. Furthermore, I think it would be inappropriate for an hon. Member or ward or parish councillor who is not personally affected by the premises in question to make representations without first obtaining the authorisation, by way of a request, of those who are.

Regional Planning and Development: Thames Gateway

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many small businesses she expects to undertake work in connection with the Thames Gateway project.

Iain Wright: Data is not collected in the form requested. Government intervention in the Thames Gateway is not targeted at individual businesses. The role of central Government across the Thames Gateway is to create the conditions for economic growth. All businesses will benefit from the additional Government investment set out in the Thames Gateway Delivery Plan (November 2007) and the Thames Gateway Economic Development Investment Plan, published by the three Greater South East regional development agencies in September 2008.

Travelling People

Eleanor Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many authorised sites for gypsies and travellers were provided in  (a) 1988 and  (b) 1998 by local authorities in (a) Essex, (b) Suffolk, (c) Norfolk, (d) Kent, (e) Hertfordshire, (f) Berkshire, (g) Cambridgeshire and (h) Greater London.

Iain Wright: The number of authorised local authority sites as at January 1998 was as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Essex 15 
			 Suffolk 4 
			 Norfolk 5 
			 Kent 19 
			 Hertfordshire 12 
			 Berkshire 7 
			 Cambridgeshire 15 
			 Greater London 37 
		
	
	We do not hold data on authorised local authority sites in 1988.

Children: Bed and Breakfast Accommodation

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many children were housed in bed and breakfast accommodation in each of the last 10 years, broken down by  (a) age and  (b) region.

Iain Wright: I have been asked to reply.
	Data are not held centrally on the overall number of children housed in bed and breakfast accommodation. However, since mid-2004, some information has been collected on the number of children (and expected children) housed in bed and breakfast style accommodation used under homelessness provisions of the 1996 Housing Act.
	Information about English local authorities' actions under the homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996) is collected quarterly at local authority level. Data collected includes the number of households accepted by local housing authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty (to secure that suitable accommodation is available). If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority must secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available.
	Information on the number of children (and expected children) in bed and breakfast style temporary accommodation (i.e. bed and breakfast hotels and other privately managed shared facility annexes) is reported quarterly by local authorities as at the last day of each quarter. This has been collected since mid 2004. Figures as reported by local authorities from 2004-05 onwards (as at the last day of March each year) are provided in a table, which has been placed in the Library. The response rate and quality of data reported by authorities is not yet sufficient to gross up to a regional and national level estimate, and data on the age of the children is not collected centrally.

PowerPerfector

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress has been made on the rollout of PowerPerfector at Whitehall Place.

Mike O'Brien: The PowerPerfector at Whitehall place was installed on 8 March 2008. It is currently saving an average of 9 per cent. of pre installation consumption, and is predicted to result in annual savings of 167,000 kg CO2.